Extended wet sieving method for determination of complete particle size distribution of general soils

The traditional standard wet sieving method uses steel sieves with aperture?0.063 mm and can only determine the particle size distribution(PSD)of gravel and sand in general soil.This paper extends the traditional method and presents an extended wet sieving method.The extended method uses both the steel sieves and the nylon filter cloth sieves.The apertures of the cloth sieves are smaller than 0.063 mm and equal 0.048 mm,0.038 mm,0.014 mm,0.012 mm,0.0063 mm,0.004 mm,0.003 mm,0.002 mm,and 0.001 mm,respectively.The extended method uses five steps to separate the general soil into many material sub-groups of gravel,sand,silt and clay with known particle size ranges.The complete PSD of the general soil is then calculated from the dry masses of the individual material sub-groups.The extended method is demonstrated with a general soil of completely decomposed granite(CDG)in Hong Kong,China.The silt and clay materials with different particle size ranges are further examined,checked and verified using stereomicroscopic observation,physical and chemical property tests.The results further confirm the correctness of the extended wet sieving method.

Measurement methods of particle size distribution in emulsion polymerization

The particle size distribution of polymer always develops in emulsion polymerization systems,and certain key phenomena/mechanisms as well as properties of the final product are significantly affected by this distribution.This review mainly focuses on the measurement methods of particle size distribution rather than average particle size during the emulsion polymerization process,including the existing off-line,on-line,and in-line measurement methods.Moreover,the principle,resolution,performance,advantages,and drawbacks of various methods for evaluating particle size distribution are contrasted and illustrated.Besides,several possible development directions or solutions of the in-line measurement technology are explored.

An evaluation method for internal erosion potential of gravelly soil based on particle size distribution

Internal erosion occurs when fine particles escape from the soil driven by seepage flow,which is considered to be the crucial factor causing the failure of earth structures filled with gravelly soil.The objective of this paper is to suggest an appropriate method to assess internal erosion potential of gravelly soil.By analyzing the sensitivity of soil material to internal erosion,the variable(Dc15/df85)max and the content of coarse particles(Pc)are selected as the evaluation indexes(Dc15 and df85 are the diameters of 15%mass passing in the coarse component and 85%mass passing in the fine component,respectively).A series of gravelly soils with different particle size distributions are tested for internal erosion by the self-made permeameter.Based on the test results,an evaluation method for the internal erosion of gravelly soil is proposed.Gravelly soil is prone to internal erosion when 60%≤Pc<95%and(Dc15/df85)max≥9.5.The proposed method shows good accuracy in evaluating the internal erosion of 36 soil samples from other studies,which confirms the reliability of the method.The proposed method makes it possible to accurately assess internal erosion of gravelly soil,and an alternative method is provided for engineers to determine whether there is a risk of internal erosion in earth structures consisting of gravelly soil.

Effect of Particle Size Distribution on Radiative Heat Transfer in High-Temperature Homogeneous Gas-Particle Mixtures

The weighted-sum-of-gray-gas(WSGG)model and Mie theory are applied to study the influents of particle size on the radiative transfer in high temperature homogeneous gas-particle mixtures,such as the flame in aero-engine combustor.The radiative transfer equation is solved by the finite volume method.The particle size is assumed to obey uniform distribution and logarithmic normal(L-N)distribution,respectively.Results reveal that when particle size obeys uniform distribution,increasing particle size with total particle volume fraction fvunchanged will result in the decreasing of the absolute value of radiative heat transfer properties,and the effect of ignoring particle scattering will also be weakened.Opposite conclusions can be obtained when total particle number concentration N0 is unchanged.Moreover,if particle size obeys L-N distribution,increasing the narrowness indexσor decreasing the characteristic diameter Dˉwith the total particle volume fraction fvunchanged will increase the absolute value of radiative heat transfer properties.With total particle number concentration N0 unchanged,opposite conclusions for radiative heat source and incident radiation terms can be obtained except for radiative heat flux term.As a whole,the effects of particle size on the radiative heat transfer in the high-temperature homogeneous gas-particle mixtures are complicated,and the particle scattering cannot be ignoring just according to the particle size.

Particle Size Distribution,Powder Agglomerates and Their Effects on Sinterability of Ultrafine Alumina Powders

An intensive study of the particle size distribution of four commercial ultrafine alumina powders to obtain information about the powder agglomeration and relate them to the compactibility and the sinterability has been made.

Resolution Increase and Noise Removal in Particle Size Distribution Measurement with Shifrin Transform

Based on the laser diffraction and Shifrin transform,the measurement method of particle size distribution has been improved extensively.While in real measurements,some noise peaks exist in the inversion data and are easily to be misread as particle distribution peaks.The improved method used a truncation function as a filter is hard to distinguish adjacent peaks.Here,by introducing the bimodal resolution criterion,the filter function is optimized,and to a quasi truncation function with the optimized filter function is studied to achieve optimal bimodal resolution and to remove noise peaks.This new quasi truncation function fits multimode distribution very well.By combining the quasi truncation function with Shifrin transform,noise peaks are removed well and the adjacent peaks are distinguished clearly.Finally,laser diffraction experiments are conducted and the particle size distribution is analyzed by adoping the method.The results show that the quasi truncation function has better bimodal resolution than the truncation function.Generally,by combining the quasi truncation function with the Shifrin transform,in particle size distribution measurements with laser diffraction,the bimodal resolution is greatly increased and the noise is removed well.And the results can restore the original distribution perfectly.Therefore,the new method with combination of the quasi truncation function and the Shifrin transform provides a feasible and effective way to measure the multimode particle size distribution by laser diffraction.

Influence of Particle Size Distribution of Bimodal Reactive Alumina on Properties of LCC Refractory Castables

The effect of particle size distribution of alumina has been investigated for silica-free tabular alumina low cement castables（ LCC）. Three different combinations of alumina have been included in the matrix formulation of the castables. All the three combinations are composed of a bimodal reactive alumina and a fine ground monomodal reactive alumina. The first A1 and second A2 combinations are respectively composed of bimodal and monomodal aluminas from Alteo,with a different fine /coarse particles ratio for the bimodal alumina. The two Alteo combinations have been compared with a third combination C composed of a bimodal commercially available grade and a monomodal commercially available grade. Optimization of particle size packing has been performed for the three different formulations using the Dinger and Funk model. With this optimization,the two formulations based on Alteo material（ PFR,PBR and PFR40） achieve the same level of performance in applicative tests（ flowability,cold physical properties,mechanical resistance,crystalline phases,thermal shocks and corrosion） as reference solutions on the market.

Particle Size Distribution and Characterization of High Siliceous and Microporous Materials

Particle size, textural and surface characteristics influence some major technological properties of high siliceous aluminosilicate zeolite and sillicoaluminophosphate （SAPO） microporous materials. A comparative study was furnished for measuring surface characteristics, particle size and particle size distribution using particle size analyzer （PSA） and scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The PSA is capable of measuring particle diameter in micron range. The results of these techniques for estimation of particle size were compared and correlated statistically. Student t-test and variance ratio test （F-test） methods were performed for the significance of results by the analysis of variance （ANONA） and multiple-range tests. Textural and surface characteristics were evaluated by Brunauer, Emmett ＆ Teller （BET） volumetric technique and v-αs plotting method. The textural results shows that the external surface area and micropore volume of microporous materials were higher than those of the high siliceous zeolites and its zeotype materials.

Sampling Surface Particle Size Distributions and Stability Analysis of Deep Channel in the Pearl River Estuary

Particle size distributions （PSDs） of bottom sediments in a coastal zone are generally multimodal due to the complexity of the dynamic environment. In this paper, bottom sediments along the deep channel of the Pearl River Estuary （PRE） are used to understand the multimodal PSDs＇ characteristics and the corresponding depositional environment. The results of curve-fitting analysis indicate that the near-bottom sediments in the deep channel generally have a bimodal distribution with a fine component and a relatively coarse component. The particle size distribution of bimodal sediment samples can be expressed as the sum of two lognormal functions and the parameters for each component can be determined. At each station of the PRE, the fine component makes up less volume of the sediments and is relatively poorly sorted. The relatively coarse component, which is the major component of the sediments, is even more poorly sorted. The interrelations between the dynamics and particle size of the bottom sediment in the deep channel of the PRE have also been investigated by the field measurement and simulated data. The critical shear velocity and the shear velocity are calculated to study the stability of the deep channel. The results indicate that the critical shear velocity has a similar distribution over large part of the deep channel due to the similar particle size distribution of sediments. Based on a comparison between the critical shear velocities derived from sedimentary parameters and the shear velocities obtained by tidal currents, it is likely that the depositional area is mainly distributed in the northern part of the channel, while the southern part of the deep channel has to face higher erosion risk.

Chemistry and particle size distribution of respirable coal dust in underground mines in Central Eastern Europe

Despite international efforts to limit worker exposure to coal dust,it continues to impact the health of thousands of miners across Europe.Airborne coal dust has been studied to improve risk models and its control to protect workers.Particle size distribution analyses shows that using spraying systems to suppress airborne dusts can reduce particulate matter concentrations and that coals with higher ash yields produce finer dust.There are marked chemical differences between parent coals and relatively coarse deposited dusts(up to _(500)μm,DD_(500)).Enrichments in Ca,K,Ba,Se,Pb,Cr,Mo,Ni and especially As,Sn,Cu,Zn and Sb in the finest respirable dust fractions could originate from:(i)mechanical machinery wear;(ii)variations in coal mineralogy;(iii)coal fly ash used in shotcrete,and carbonates used to reduce the risk of explosions.Unusual enrichments in Ca in mine dusts are attributed to the use of such concrete,and elevated K to raised levels of phyllosilicate mineral matter.Sulphur concentrations are higher in the parent coal than in the DD_(500),probably due to relatively lower levels of organic matter.Mass concentrations of all elements observed in this study remained below occupational exposure limits.

Effect of Polymerization Condition on Particle Size Distribution in St/BA/MAA Emulsion Polymerization Process

A series of St/BA/MAA emulsion polymerizations was carried out. By using PCS (photon correlation spectroscopy), the particle size distribution (PSD) of the whole St/BA/MAA emulsion polymerization process was gotten easily and quickly. The effect of polymerization condition on PSD in St/BA/MAA emulsion process was discussed.

Power law of particle size distributions in water treatment processes

In this paper,the power law of particle size distributions (PSDs) in conventional water treatment processes is developed. After measuring the particle size distributions of raw-water,settled water and filtered water,a mathematical model between particle diameter and the amount of particles was studied. The value of collision frequency factor β in the PSDs model can be used to represent the collision behavior of particles ,and can be used as foundation exponent to choose suitable coagulation to accelerate particles aggregation. At the same time,the relationship between the value of parameter K and the total particles volume V was deduced. K is defined as particle volume exponent,which can represent the total volume of particles. The degression degree of K shows the removal efficiency of potable water treatment units.

Effect of Varying Aerosol Concentrations and Relative Humidity on Visibility and Particle Size Distribution in Urban Atmosphere

Atmospheric aerosol concentrations have been found to change constantly due to the influence of source,winds and human activities over short time periods.This has proved to be a constraint to the study of varied aerosol concentrations in urban atmosphere alongside changing relative humidity and how it affects visibility and aerosol particle size distribution.In this research simulation was carried out using Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds(OPAC 4.0)average concentration setup for relative humidity(RH)0-99%at visible wavelength 0.4-0.8μm to vary the concentrations of three aerosol components:WASO(Water-soluble),INSO(Insoluble)and SOOT.The Angstrom exponents(α),the curvatures(α2)and atmospheric turbidities(β)were obtained from the regression analysis of Kaufman’s first and second order polynomial equations for visibility.The research determined the mean exponent of the aerosol size growth curve(μ)from the effective hygroscopic growth(geff)and the humidification factors(γ)from visibility enhancement f(RH,λ).The mean exponent of aerosol size distributions(υ)was determined fromμandγ.The results showed that with varied WASO,INSO and SOOT concentrations respectively at different RH,aerosol particle size distributions showed bimodal characteristics with dominance of fine mode particles.Hazy atmospheric conditions prevailed with increasing turbidity.

A refined representation method of the particle size distribution curve based on grading entropy

The particle size distribution(PSD)curve is an important expression of the basic properties of the soil.The characteristic parameters such as median particle size D 50,effective particle size D 10,and some combinations of characteristic parameters can only represent some points of the PSD curve,failing to represent all information of the PSD curve.In this paper,a fraction characteristic parameter F that could reflect the fraction size variation of the PSD curve was introduced based on grading entropy.And a new presentation method of the A-B-F three parameters was proposed for a refined representation of the PSD curve.It was found that the newly constructed model not only better represents the differences in the width of PSD curves but also has a higher sensitivity than the A-B two-parameter model proposed by Lőrincz.For PSD curves with similar distributions,the new presentation method has a higher degree of discrimination than that of the D 50-C u-C c three-parameter or the four-parameter combination G c proposed by Arshad.Finally,the application of this new method in describing the spatial nonuniformity distribution of depositions and predicting the soil hydraulic conductivity was discussed.The research results can provide a reference for the refined representation of PSD curves.

Particle size distribution and characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during a heavy haze episode in Nanjing,China

A heavy haze episode caused by agricultural burning occurred in Nanjing from November 7 to November 8, 2009. PM10 samples were collected on normal and hazy days from November I to November 14, 2009 at both city and suburban sites of Nanjing. Sixteen PAHs were measured during the day and at night. The results show that the concentrations of the particles were as high as 579.55 and 573.43 μg/m^3 during the haze episode at the city and suburban sites, respectively, 3-4 times higher than those on a normal day. The proportions of fine particles during the haze episode were also higher than those on a normal day. The changes in the concentrations of PAHs were in accordance with the concentrations of the particles. High- molecular-weight PAHs composed approximately 80% of the total PAHs on normal days and during the haze episode. The concentration of PAHs in fine fractions significantly increased during the haze episode, and this increase was most obvious at night at the city site, The proportion of total carcinogenic PAHs in fine particles was relatively high during the haze episode at both sampling sites, particularly at night at the city site.

Particle size distribution in CPFD modeling of gas-solid flows in a CFB riser

A computational particle fluid dynamics （CPFD） numerical method to model gas-solid flows in a circulating fluidized bed （CFB） riser was used to assess the effects of particle size distribution （PSD） on solids distribution and flow. We investigated a binary PSD and a polydisperse PSD case. Our simulations were compared with measured solids concentrations and velocity profiles from experiments, as well as with a published Eulerian-Eulerian simulation. Overall flow patterns were similar for both simulation cases, as confirmed by experimental measurements. However, our fine-mesh CPFD simulations failed to predict a dense bottom region in the riser, as seen in other numerical studies. Above this bottom region, distri- butions of particle volume fraction and particle vertical velocity were consistent with our experiments, and the simulated average particle diameter decreased as a power function with riser height. Interactions between particles and wails also were successfully modeled, with accurate predictions for the lateral profiles of particle vertical velocity. It was easy to implement PSD into the CPFD numerical model, and it required fewer computational resources compared with other models, especially when particles with a polydisperse PSD were present in the heterogeneous flow.

Image segmentation method for coal particle size distribution analysis

Particle size distribution is extremely important in the coal preparation industry.It is traditionally analysed by a manual screening method,which is relatively time-consuming and cannot immediately guide production.In this paper,an image segmentation method for images of coal particles is proposed.It employs the watershed algorithm,k-nearest neighbour algorithm,and convex shell method to achieve preliminary segmentation,merge small pieces with large pieces,and split adhered particles,respectively.Comparing the automated segmentation using this method with manual segmentation,it is found that the results are comparable.The size distributions obtained by the automated and manual segmentation methods are nearly identical,and the standard deviation is less than 3%,indicating good reliability.This automated image segmentation method provides a new approach for rapidly analysing the size distribution of coal particles with size fractions defined according to consumer requirements.

Fractal Characteristics of Particle Size Distribution in Dynamic Flocculation Process

This study selected polyaluminum chloride（PAC） coagulant to remove suspended particles in Kaolin suspension solution and used a turbidimeter and particle counter to monitor the flocculation process online and collected the experiment data. The experiments were conducted to study the dynamic distribution characteristics of suspended particles under different hydrodynamic conditions. The results show the self-similarity and scale invariance of particle size distribution. The study further proposed the concept of fractal dimension of particle size distribution and found out that fractal dimension changed in a similar way as residual turbidity did and could excellently indicate the variation of coagulation effect. Therefore, fractal dimension could be adopted to optimize the addition of coagulants and the quality of outflow could be further improved to reduce production costs.

A spectrometer for measuring particle size distributions in the range of 3 nm to 10 μm

A spectrometer combining electrical mobility sizing and aerodynamic sizing was developed to measure aerosol size distributions in the range of 3 nm to 10 μm. It includes three instruments which cover different size ranges （a nano scanning mobility particle sizer （NSMPS, 3 - 60 nm）, a regular scanning mobility particle sizer （RSMPS, 40 - 700nm）, and an aerodynamic particle sizer （APS, 550nm- 10 μm））. High voltage and sheath flow of the NSMPS and RSMPS were supplied using two home-built control boxes. A LabVIEW program was developed for spectrometer automatic operation. A linear inversion method was applied to correct particle multiple charging effects and to integrate data from the three instruments into a wide-range size distribution. Experi- ments were conducted to compare distributions in the overlap size ranges measured by three instruments. Good agreement between the NSMPS and RSMPS was achieved after correcting for the difference in counting efficiencies of the two particle counters. Aerodynamic size distribu- tions reported by the APS were converted to mobility size distributions by applying an effective density method. Distributions measured by the RSMPS and APS were consistent in the overlap size range of 550 - 700 nm. A full spectrum in the size range of 3nm to 10~tm was demonstrated by measuring aerosol generated using a mixture of different sized polystyrene latex spheres.

Determination of particle size distribution by multi-scale analysis of acoustic emission signals in gas-solid fluidized bed

Particle size distribution(PSD) is an important parameter in the process of fluidization,and it always plays a crucial role in a gas-solid fluidized system.A PSD model for on-line PSD determination based on acoustic emission(AE) measurement was developed according to the mechanism of particle collision with the inner wall of the cylinder and multi-scale wavelet decomposition analysis.This PSD model illuminates the quantitative relationship between the energy percentage of AE signals for different scales and the PSD,which indicates the feasibility of the application of the PSD model.Experiments were undertaken both in lab and plant gas-solid fluidized setup with polyethylene particles,and the parameters of the PSD model were calibrated and revised.The experimental conditions and results proved that the PSD model was suitable for on-line measurement and was sufficiently sensible and accurate.Concerning agglomeration,the PSD model also showed exact serviceability on detecting the onset of agglomeration by abnormal PSD,and the result agreed with that from the radiation method.Ultimately,AE measurement was found to be a reliable and credible means for understanding the PSD information that affects the behavior of a system,which can provide valuable guidance for practical applications.